EC’s ban on physical campaigning against free and fair elections, says Kit Siang
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THE Election Commission (EC) is failing in its duties to allow for free and fair elections to take place in Malacca by banning all physical campaigning, Lim Kit Siang said today.
The DAP veteran said there is no need for a complete ban on all physical campaigning as Malacca was in phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan, where almost all economic and social activities are allowed to take place.
“The EC is failing in its national duty to conduct ‘free, fair and clean’ Malacca elections on November 20 with its antediluvian, anachronistic and antiquated election standard operating procedure imposing a virtual ban on physical campaigning.
“Why can’t the EC strike a proper balance between ensuring ‘free, fair and clean’ elections and prevention of Covid-19 infection?” the Iskandar Puteri MP asked.
Yesterday, the EC announced that the only form of physical campaigning allowed in the Malacca elections is the use of loudspeakers from vehicles at fixed times and with a police permit.
The EC said the SOP, which was approved by the Health Ministry, bans any form of public physical gathering.
This means there can be no ceramah, no door-to-door visits by candidates nor supporters to canvas for votes and no walkabout activities.
Candidates who violate these rules would be subject to the Elections Offences Act 1954, it added.
Another SOP for the Malacca polls stipulates that candidates and their parties are only allowed to open one operation room per seat.
Smaller operations centres or gathering points for parties’ election machinery are not allowed.
Lim said that given schools in Perlis, Perak, Penang, Sabah and Kedah will resume on November 21 and a quarantine-free air travel between Malaysia and Singapore will be implemented soon, the EC’s SOP is not in line with living with the virus.
“The EC’s total ban on all physical campaigning for the elections in Malacca is most disadvantageous and to the detriment of opposition parties, who do not have access to radio and television facilities.”
This, he said, will allow abuse of power and corruption practices to take place during the polls.
He added that a total ban is against the law and the government should revise the procedures to allow physical campaigning where social distancing measures can be properly observed. – November 9, 2021.